Nintendo has sent a media invite for a special event. UPDATE: pre-orders rumored to start in September

Update: As spotted by GoNintendo, a Best Buy leak from an employee newsletter seems to indicate that pre-orders will start in September as well. The alleged internal email reads, "Wii U cannot be pre-ordered industry-wide until September. However, through the magic of BestBuy.com, customers can sign up to be notified via email when pre-orders become available."

Original story:

Nintendo is hoping to make a big splash this holiday season with the launch of the Wii U. There are two important questions that Nintendo has yet to answer. How much will Wii U retail for, and when will it hit store shelves? We just might get those answers on September 13 in the US.

GamesIndustry International received a media invite today for a special event. It reads, "Interested in learning more about how Wii U will change the future of gaming and entertainment? Join us for a presentation by Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime followed by hands-on game play and demos."

Nintendo does not mention that it's going to reveal date and price, but time is ticking and the company knows that it needs to get that information out there so it can start marketing in full force with retail partners. We'll be sure to keep you posted on any news coming from Nintendo.

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@ Adam I wish people would get over it. Does anyone really think about a system's name that much? Xbox 360 was an exceedingly dumb name, as was Wii, and none are as dumb as PlayStation Vitamin Water. Has a name ever really stopped you from purchasing or enjoying a game system?

I think Nintendo to have to think of a better way to brand their products. The name is one of the reasons why 3DS potential has been held back (there are people that still don't relate to it as a new product if one at all) and its a reason why Wii-U may be held back from some of its market potential. People didn't even realise Wii-U was more than a controller for the original Wii but a completely new console when it was unveiled, I doubt the atypical gaming community know this to this day. Ambiguity in a brand is not good.

At least Playstation Vita is a concrete, different product. There is little to confuse, its one of the modern Playstation consoles. Yes I think Wii and Wii-U especially are stupid names but I think the implications are more than just that. Hell, 'Nintendo U' would be better in defining a new platform with a largely new focus altogether.

Edited 1 times. Last edit by Adam Campbell on 21st August 2012 10:26pm

I don't disagree with your point that there are better names, but Nintendo systems have sold on word of mouth and party play recently anyway. There is no confusion (or very little) about what the 3DS is now, a year later. Yes, it definitely had that problem at launch, but people overestimate the importance of the launch of a system, as the 3DS shows now (and the PS3 showed in the past). So yes, it may confuse some people at first, though with some clever marketing I bet they can get around the majority of that (heck, just show "Wii 2" and then morph the "2" into a "U" and you're going to make most people understand right away that this is a new device).

I think the name is the least of Nintendo's problems, though I agree that in failing to separate itself properly from the Wii, it is a problem. The Wii-U's biggest problem is that I cannot think of a single demographic who is going to buy the thing. Core gamers? Why? To play Batman? Casuals? They already have a Wii. Why do they need another one?

The Wii-U's only audience is the die-hard Nintendo fan. The sort that think another 2D Mario is worth the $400 asking price. But, you know, they kinda crazy. They're also a far smaller group than their extremely vocal advocates would have you believe.

I think there are games and experiences there for the hardcore gamers that are not around on the other systems but we'll see how many there are going forward. Don't forget that it's also the first "next gen" platform to release and I think that has a lot of cache in a lot of competitive gamers' minds. Just on a personal level - I never bought a Wii but am planning on getting a Wii-U (depending on the price, of course!)

Is there any chance that Nintendo have held back on giving out details due to economic factors? I can understand if they wanted the currency market to settle a little or move into a better situation before they came out with a final figure. It's had such a big impact on them this year.